Each journal has 240 pages of lightly-lined cream pages for your thoughts, inspiration, and sketches, and features one of her watercolours on the cover.
Journal - Sunflowers
Journal - Barn Owl
Journal - Garden Delphiniums
Journal - Brambles
The Exact Likeness of Living Persons
SILVER MEDAL WINNER, 2022/2023 Reader Views Literary Awards
ADULT FICTION
Wry observations on friendship, the fragility of love and survival, and the unfathomable scope of human behaviour in a collection of poems, short stories, a play, and a song. Included in the ensemble is the tale of a WW2 bomber crew's daring escape; a complicated romance in a retirement residence; and, the youthful lament of a tangled friendship.
The Exact Likeness of Living Persons swings from the laughable and ironic, to the deadly serious, much like life itself.
"... well constructed, clever, with very good endings." Whistler Independent Book Awards
"Margaret J. McMaster is aware of the darkness that threads through all our lives. There is light, too - and humour - but she refuses to look away from the difficulties, the obstacles, the hard truths. Her poems and prose compel us to focus, to pay attention, to look below the surface of things." Paul Nicholas Mason, author of The Rogue Wave and The Night Drummer
ISBN: 9781777170356
Publication Date: October 31, 2022
No. of Pages: 240
Free shipping for Amazon Prime members on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. Available worldwide. (Books purchased for Canadian customers are printed and distributed in Canada.)
Also available at Chapters/Indigo.
Library and bookstore orders handled by INGRAM.
About the Author:
Margaret is a multimedia creator who writes, paints, produces videos for the YouTube Channel: A Sweet Enough Life, and designs journals for Mansbridge Dunn Publishers. This is what she calls retirement after working in education, business, and library services. She lives in Canada with her Miniature Schnauzer, Max (who is constantly vying for attention), and a husband who lovingly takes him for walks. She is a proud member of The Writers' Union of Canada, The Arts Society of Kingsville, and Amherstburg's Gibson Gallery.
Publishing History:
Margaret J. McMaster published her first book of middle-grade fiction, Carried Away on Licorice Days, in 2008. It was nominated for three literary awards: the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children Award, the 2010/2011 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award, and the 2011 Rocky Mountain Book Award. In 2009 she started writing the Babysitter Out of Control! series. These amusing, fast-paced adventures include: Babysitter Out of Control!, Looking for Love on Mongo Tongo, The Improbable Party on Purple Plum Lane, What Happened in July, The Sinking of the Wiley Bean, and, The Queen of Second Chances. The Complete Babysitter Out of Control! Series, published in 2015, was long-listed for the 2016 Silver Birch Award, was a Best Books for Kids & Teens selection, and won the GOLD MEDAL in the 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, Early Reader/1st Chapter Books category. McMaster is a past contributor to the Canadian Children’s Annual and her creative non-fiction piece, After All These Years, was shortlisted for the 2006 CBC Literary Award. So Much Potential, a novel set in the Lake Erie fishing industry, was published in 2013. It was a Best Book for Kids & Teens *Starred* Selection. The first book in her Phoebe Sproule series, 8 Days in DUMBO, was named one of *The Year’s Best* by Resource Links and won an Honourable Mention in the 2019/2020 Reader Views Literary Awards. The sequel, The Haunting of Cedar Hill Plantation, was released in 2020 and won a Bronze Medal in the Reader Views Literary Awards. In 2022 she published a collection of adult short fiction called, The Exact Likeness of Living Persons. It won a Silver Medal in the 2022/2023 Reader Views Literary Awards.
From the Critics:
Read the Review: "A must have five star book to re-visit often when we need to reconnect with our humanity."
Other Books by This Author:
Teen Fiction:
So Much Potential
Juvenile Fiction:
The Haunting of Cedar Hill Plantation
8 Days in DUMBO
Carried Away on Licorice Days
Early Chapter Books:
Babysitter Out of Control!
Looking For Love on Mongo Tongo
The Improbable Party on Purple Plum Lane
What Happened in July
The Sinking of the Wiley Bean
The Queen of Second Chances
The Complete Babysitter Out of Control! Series
The Haunting of Cedar Hill Plantation - A Phoebe Sproule Novel - Book 2
ISBN: 9781999114411
Date of Publication: April 12, 2020No. of Pages: 223
Available at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com & Barnes & Noble & Walmart
It's supposed to be a summer getaway at her relatives' plantation in Nashville but Phoebe quickly discovers that her cousin Baxter is desperate to find a treasure hidden during the Civil War and his sister Rachel's relationship with her boyfriend is on the rocks. Underneath it all is a plantation that hasn't put its past to rest, and the aftermath of a deadly tornado is about to reveal the truth.
REVIEWS:
"The Haunting of Cedar Hill Plantation is a mystery full of ghost stories and buried treasures. The story is fun to read and kept me interested to find out what would happen next. It's full of surprises and historical information about the Civil War that isn't boring. Like the first book, 'Eight Days in DUMBO', there is a lot of action and adventure in this book that I think would be liked by both boys and girls."
"The Haunting of Cedar Hill Plantation was an interesting story that gives some background on the American Civil War without being set in that time period. It has the potential to pique the interest of historical fiction and ghost story fans alike, and its fast pace and short chapters make for a novel that is neither heavy nor daunting."
Recommended. CM: Canadian Review of Materials
8 Days in DUMBO - A Phoebe Sproule Novel - Book 1
ISBN: 9781999114404 Named one of *The Year's Best* by Resource Links.
Awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2019/2020 Reader Views Literary Awards.
Awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2019/2020 Reader Views Literary Awards.
Free shipping for Amazon Prime members on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. Also available at Barnes and Noble.
eBook available at KINDLE and NOOK.
Library & Bookstore Orders handled by INGRAM
Library & Bookstore Orders handled by INGRAM
What distinguishes a friend from an enemy is a complicated affair for 12-year-old Phoebe as she tries to understand the hurtful behavior of Serena, a girl who is taunting her. By contrast, four-year-old Peter Philby, who is missing from the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, knows exactly what a bully is. It's on his mind all the time. What he doesn't know is that a girl he's never met will change the outcome of his ordeal.
Press Release:
Margaret J. McMaster’s latest book, 8 Days in DUMBO, is a delightful children’s mystery that combines memorable characters with a compelling plotline. Several stories intersect and converge in the novel, keeping the reader engaged in the action.
The title is a deceptively simple reference to the action detailed through the book; DUMBO is an acronym for part of New York - Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass - a gentrified part of the city set apart by its cobblestones and converted warehouses. During the eight days we spend discovering the area, we are introduced to our heroine, 12-year-old Phoebe Sproule, her family, friends, and neighbors. The neighborhood itself becomes a character of sorts as well; we explore DUMBO through “Febes” as she searches for little Peter Philby, who has disappeared from the local Starbrite Diner.
McMaster brings a wide variety of quirky and interesting characters to life as the plot unfolds. We meet Phoebe’s hipster, blogging mom, Abby, who is reinventing herself after an online absence to raise her daughter, and her steadfast dad, Chuck. Phoebe’s friends, London and Washington, and her “frenemies”, Serena and the Disciples, figure prominently as the search for Peter continues.
It is through Phoebe’s close connection to her Grandma Sylvie that DUMBO really comes to life, as the two explore parts of the area together for a history project for school. The author gives us a brief glimpse into the role New York played in the Revolutionary War and uses the stories of war to show how themes of loyalty, division, and intrigue pervade all times and lives.
Several memorable minor characters are peppered throughout the book, like Mr. Wong, Phyllis the waitress, Valerie, and Pirate. Their stories intertwine and enrich the central storyline, adding to the intrigue while also providing greater depth to the main characters.
8 Days in DUMBO is a highly entertaining whodunit. McMaster’s style and language have broad appeal to her intended tween audience while making it an enjoyable read for their parents as well. Beneath the surface story of a mysterious disappearance are timeless lessons of friendship, love, and loyalty. Spend 8 days in DUMBO; you won’t regret it!
REVIEWS:
'A lot happens in this story - the mystery, Phoebe and her friends creating a history project, the man next door who puts signs in his window to communicate, and a girl who can't hear or speak who works at a restaurant where Phoebe and her grandma go a lot. How does all this go together? You just have to read it to find out! I think kids around the ages of 10 to 13 would like "8 Days in DUMBO" by Margaret J. McMaster. It's a fun story and full of action and adventure.' https://www.readerviewskids.com/8-days-in-dumbo-by-margaret-j-mcmaster/
'Phoebe, herself, is a delightful character: smart, funny, clever, forgiving, and just a genuinely good person. Her interactions with the other characters in the novel illustrate a kind and caring nature. She's the kind of character that readers will genuinely root for, despite the fact that most of the major conflicts happen to the characters around her.' Recommended. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, Nov. 22, 2019.
'Margaret McMaster has penned an easy-read, suitable for students in upper elementary and middle school. The author keeps readers engaged in the story, and certainly wanting to solve the mystery, find the missing child, and even learn what secret Serena has. There is lots of adventure and antics happening in 8 Days in DUMBO, portraying the complexity of life found in reality.' Resource Links, Dec. 2019 Issue.
“The overall story content, insight, and theme are very high quality. I could not stop reading, and that always means a compelling story on several levels. Overall the story is excellent.” Judge, 27th Annual Writer’s Digest Independently-Published Book Awards.
Discussion Questions
Q. After Serena taunts Phoebe about her mother’s blog, Phoebe wonders why she is trying to irritate her. What possible explanations are there for Serena’s behavior towards Phoebe?
Q. When Peter Philby goes missing his mother describes him as a “curious, fearless boy”.
a) How does he exhibit these qualities? b) What is the one thing waiting for him at school that Peter is afraid of?
Q. In trying to complete a history project, Phoebe and her friends discover that the ground under their feet was once littered with the dead and wounded soldiers of the Revolutionary War. Have there been any historical events like that in your community?
Q. Even though Grandma Sylvie was a nurse, her passion is history. How does she keep that passion alive in her life? Do you have a hobby that you couldn’t live without?
Q. On Friday Phoebe hopes that Serena won’t be at school. I wasn’t wishing typhoid fever on her, of course, but a cold or stomach flu that would keep her out until Monday would be helpful. Eventually, Phoebe regrets every bad thing she ever thought about Serena and refers to her as the Warrior Princess. What changed her mind? Have you ever been wrong about someone you thought you knew?
Q. London, Washington, Serena, and Valerie are living in households with one, or both, parents absent. What challenges does this present them with?
Q. What scenes made you laugh? Which parts made you sad?
Q. There are several instances in 8 Days in DUMBO of people helping people. Which one stands out the most for you?
Q. Why do you think there’s a picture of a cat and a yellow balloon on the cover?
Q. Describe what you think Phoebe did after she left the storeroom of the diner. Then write what you think London would have done if she’d been the one who figured out what had happened to Peter Philby.
Q. At the end, in the apartment she shares with her father, the girl with the big blue eyes brings a plate of cookies and three napkins for her guests. What do you think Valerie tries to communicate using food?
Carried Away on Licorice Days - Nominated for Three Literary Awards
Format: Trade Paperback
Published: September 30, 2008
Dimensions: 112 Pages
4.25 x 7 x 0.2 in
4.25 x 7 x 0.2 in
ISBN-13: 9780981052502
Binding: Perfect Bound
Binding: Perfect Bound
Retail Price: $11.50 CDN
Juvenile Fiction: Ages 8 - 12
Free shipping for Amazon Prime members on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.
Also available from Barnes and Noble.
Library & Bookstore Orders handled by INGRAM
From the Publisher:
Owen isn't expecting anything other than a good night's sleep when he's shipped off to his grandmother's farm after his baby sister is born, but he soon discovers that he fits right in with the three-legged dog, the blind goat, and a very angry pony. Then Grandma wins the lottery and everything changes.
From the Critics:
"a thrilling outcome for Owen ... one that debut author McMaster deftly and convincingly orchestrates." Susan Perren, Children's Book Reviewer, The Globe and Mail, November 8th, 2008
www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/childrens-books/article716784/
"This gentle novel brings to mind the works of James Herriot, full of memorable animal characters, cups of steaming hot cocoa, and frosty mornings out in the barn. Highly recommended." CM: Canadian Review of Materials, March 20th, 2009www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol15/no15/carriedawayonlicoricedays.html
Owen isn't expecting anything other than a good night's sleep when he's shipped off to his grandmother's farm after his baby sister is born, but he soon discovers that he fits right in with the three-legged dog, the blind goat, and a very angry pony. Then Grandma wins the lottery and everything changes.
From the Critics:
"a thrilling outcome for Owen ... one that debut author McMaster deftly and convincingly orchestrates." Susan Perren, Children's Book Reviewer, The Globe and Mail, November 8th, 2008
www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/childrens-books/article716784/
"This gentle novel brings to mind the works of James Herriot, full of memorable animal characters, cups of steaming hot cocoa, and frosty mornings out in the barn. Highly recommended." CM: Canadian Review of Materials, March 20th, 2009www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol15/no15/carriedawayonlicoricedays.html
Longlisted for the Canadian Library Association's 2009 Book of the Year for Children Award
So Much Potential - A *STARRED* Selection in Best Books for Kids & Teens
Date Published: July 8, 2013
Page Count: 112
Dimensions: 5.25 x 8.25 in
Binding: Perfect Bound
ISBN13: 9780981052571
Ages: Young Adult Fiction
Hi-interest, Lo-vocabulary, for reluctant readers or those reading below grade level
Large print
Free shipping for Amazon Prime members on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. Available worldwide.
Also available from Barnes and Noble.
Library & Bookstore Orders handled by INGRAM
From the Publisher:
Andy Towell's dream of becoming a commercial fisherman is jeopardized when a co-worker goes missing.
A *Starred* Selection in Best Books for Kids & Teens
From the Critics:
"Her latest book is compelling - the reader is gripped by the story, enthralled by the characters, and gratified by the way the story curls itself into a satisfying tale. And it is a tale of the sea, or more accurately, our local fresh waters of Lake Erie. It is an adventure-mystery with a little romance thrown into the journey of a boy's passage into young adulthood. Suspenseful to the end, the tale is riveting." The Kingsville Reporter
The Complete Babysitter Out of Control! Series - MOONBEAM AWARDS GOLD MEDAL WINNER
2015 Moonbeam GOLD MEDAL Winner
Juvenile Fiction - Early Reader/1st Chapter Books
Long-listed for the 2016 Silver Birch Award.
Selected for the Fall 2015 Edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens.
Published: February 10, 2015
Dimensions: 5.50 x 8.5 in x .75 in
331 pages
ISBN-13: 9780981052595
Format: Trade Paperback
Binding: Perfect Bound
Juvenile Fiction 7+
Full-page colour illustrations
Order print copies from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.
eBOOK available from KINDLE, and Hoopla.
From the Publisher:
The zany adventures of Stewart and his eccentric babysitter, Mrs. Chairbottom, are featured in this compilation of the six books in the Babysitter Out of Control! series: Babysitter Out of Control!, Looking for Love on Mongo Tongo, The Improbable Party on Purple Plum Lane, What Happened in July (selected for Best Books for Kids & Teens - Spring 2013), The Sinking of the Wiley Bean, and, The Queen of Second Chances.
From the Critics:
"The babysitter, Mrs. Chairbottom, is a delightful if unorthodox babysitter. She takes care of Stewart (or does Stewart take care of her?) in a number of adventures and misadventures. Stewart does not really reveal to his parents how 'unusual' his babysitter is, and herein lies the charm of the series. Zany Mrs. Chairbottom also owns a pet parrot, Petey, who is a great fan of the Home Shopping Channel!
This series will keep the reader glued to the book in order to find out the outcome of each of the fast-paced and funny stories.
The accomplished author believes that, 'The best compliment a reader can give me is: I couldn't put the book down, because delivering a compelling story is my primary aim. If the reader gets something deeper from it, I think that's wonderful.' She has more than delivered on that goal in this series." - The Kingsville Reporter, Feb. 16, 2016.
"The initial concept of an eccentric babysitter who, herself, needs babysitting is a fun one that has served the series well. Recommended." CM: Canadian Review of Materials, March 27th, 2015
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